The Family Circle

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. — African proverb

The notion of family often brings up a lot of emotion in us. Most of us have many positive memories of the times in which we grew up. We can remember when it was our family that carried us through some rough patches. Without family providing the warm emotions during our formative years things would have gone much worse than they did.

Family is really about support. We value family when we are
young and developing because without that support most of us would not be where
we are today.

Then during the busy times of midlife, family can seem to be
less important. When we mature ourselves, we no longer value what family
provides the same way. This is because of instead receiving support, we now are
mainly there just to provide that same support to those who are younger.

So instead of receiving gifts at our birthdays and wedding,
we now give to the relatives that are starting out.

This stage is only temporary though, because before we know
it we are retired and older, when family once more gains value.

Churches are a lot
like people in this respect.

When a church is starting out, there is not a lot of money
and there is not a lot of maturity either. There is a lot of energy, and the
sense of a bright future, but that positive energy can easily go astray without
an older family member who can help guide that energy into maturity.

Then when a church hits its stride, it becomes
self-sufficient and really doesn’t need anyone else. At this stage other
churches can become a bit of a nuisance really, because they want to work
together with you because they need your church, but yours really doesn’t need
them.

It is when the majority of the churches in a denomination are in midlife that the question arises about that denomination’s value, and if they are necessary.

At this stage the of churches clear majority really are fine
without others, and as such, they quit coming to meetings or supporting the
conference which helped to bring them up.

This is where most denominations are today.

We don’t need them, as we once did, so what are they there
for?

The answer to that question is only unclear if you fail to
see that every church has a life cycle, and that young, new churches
need those who are in their prime, just as do the older ones who are now past
their prime.

EVERY CHURCH IS SOMEWHERE
ON THE LIFE CYCLE, WHICH INEVITABLY ENDS IN CLOSURE.

So, if you are a part of one of those healthy, independent
churches, be happy with where you are, but
remember that there was a time when another church was there for yours,
when yours was young and needy.

Yes, it may have been before you started going there, but
that does not change the history, and neither does it change your
responsibility to now be there to start and support new churches starting out.

The reality is that one day your church will go into decline
and with that will come again the need for a family of churches that will be
there for you.

The question will be, what did your church do with its prime
years?

Were you there to provide the needed support for those who
are now in their prime? Those churches who you may now be looking to for
support in your second time of need?

All of us will give account one day when the last chapter is written; how will the book of your church read?

We all need one another, and the lie that we don’t is slowly killing
the Church.

Pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. If two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. — Ecclesiastes 4:10-12